What are you-

There is no light and dark, only-

Go to that world. Set up an outpost-

The girl has come of age-

I saw the strangest thing today. There was this star-

I'm not a good guy-

We follow the path of the first sun-

Your Highness, Lemuria has fallen-

Who are you-

I can't do this anymore-

We must retaliate-

It's the Terpolites again-

Atlantis is no more, my King-

What did we ever do to you-

Hi, I'm Amneris, and you are-

The worlds are filled with only darkness-

Embrace the power of-

What do you think, Naiu-

What's the plan-

I won't let you destroy my people-

It's called the Forgotten War for a reason-

The worlds are broken. I will fix them-

I'm coming for you-

Amneris didn't realise her hands were over her ears until her father removed them. Her eyes shot open once the voices in her mind stopped, the sudden silence shocking her back into the present. She was beneath the Palace, sitting within the Chamber of the Photon Core. Her father had brought her here after breakfast, saying it was the most practical place to regain her control.

"You're thinking about it too much," Lvaane said, wiping the stray tears Amneris didn't realise were on her face. "Don't try to make sense of what is being said. Let it pass through you."

Amneris nodded, crossing her legs and closing her eyes.

"Focus on your breathing."

She opened one eye. "You remember I'm dead, right?"

"Amneris."

"Okay. Okay."

Amneris straightened herself, hands resting palm-up on her knees and eyes closed. She counted her breaths as the voices of the past came into her mind again. This time, instead of trying to make out what was said, she let them float inside her, coming and going as they pleased. A few voices stood out to her. Amneris took note then dismissed them. Somewhere far away, she heard her father's approval.

She felt her - the Core's - power spluttered to life somewhere deep inside. Amneris reached down, gently pulling it to the surface of her birth-power as she had done many times before. It came without question. She felt it leaving her body, though it did not go far. The power was in her hands. Opening her eyes, Amneris found starlight dancing around her body. It bounced off the diamond names in the chamber, rainbows being added into the light. She closed her eyes again, allowing her power to do as it pleased.

Her form flickered.

The power vanished.

Amneris opened her eyes again. Her show of power was gone and she remained in her Fae form. She looked up at her father, giving him a helpless shrug. He seemed more confused than her.

"What do you think?" Lvaane asked.

"What do I think?" the spirit sighed.

The Embodiment of the Photon Core - Naiu herself, it turned out - was sitting on the same pedestal as the Photon Core, her legs dangling over the edge of the ancient stone and hands keeping herself in place.

Naiu pulled her white silk shawl over her pale shoulders. "There must be something blocking the change."

"Thank you, Goddess of Creation and Light, for stating the obvious," Amneris told her sarcastically. "Now, if you could tell us something useful, it would be much appreciated."

The spirit's silver eyes narrowed. "This would have never happened if you didn't use my power to try to destroy the worlds which," she continued, "was the exact thing I told you not to do."

"I didn't try to destroy the worlds," Amneris countered, standing and placing her hands on her hips. "I used the power to destroy the Dark King."

"Through overkill." Naiu floated forward. "You used everything. Had that not been even slightly controlled, we would not be having this conversation because there wouldn't be a multiverse left to converse in!"

"Oh, right. It's my fault Tara freed him so obviously any blame must be put on me when you and the other Gods did nothing to help. All you did was watch!"

"As a matter of fact, it was your fault!"

"Ladies, please." Lvaane stepped between them before Naiu could continue. "Enliatu was destroyed and the multiverse remains as it was," he told the spirit before addressing Amneris. "You kept control of the power but, had you not done so, everything would have been destroyed." He looked them both in the eye. "The both of you will resolve this matter."

The two women glared at each other.

"Immediately," Lvaane said.

They sighed in unison. "Sorry."

"Good." He glanced at Amneris. "Back to where you were."

Huffing, Amneris returned to her spot on the polished gold floor. Once again, she crossed her legs and closed her eyes. "I still don't get what listening to the past is supposed to accomplish other than scare the shit out of me and give me a headache."

She felt more than saw her father begin to pace. Again. He seemed to be struggling to hold his tongue, no doubt preparing to give her the exact same speech as earlier.

Naiu must have noticed this as well. "Amneris' power was activated when she was young, correct?"

"That's right," Lvaane confirmed.

"Why not use that method?"

"Because if anyone comes even in my general direction with an iron brand ever again, I will take my sweet time killing them," Amneris said matter-of-factly, looking over to where she was sitting. "And if anyone takes a whip to my skin, I will strangle them with it."

The spirit lowered her voice as she spoke to Lvaane. "You did not tell me she went that far."

"It wasn't my place to say." He gestured to Amneris. "She doesn't like talking about it either."

"I don't blame her! It sounds rather traumatizing."

"That's putting it gently."

"I'm sitting right here," Amneris muttered.

"And you're supposed to be focusing, not listening in on conversations."

She stuck her tongue out at her father.

A vibrating noise filled the room, making the three people in it jump. Amneris eyed the far side of the room where she'd dumped her phone, jacket, and shoes. She could have sworn she put her phone on mute. A wave of her hand made it fling into her hand. Her eyes widened at the start of the message on her lock-screen.

Amneris' eyes widened. "We're going to have to put the meditation session on hold." She dashed to the pile of her things, tugging on her black heeled ankle boots and leather jacket.

"Did something happen?" Naiu asked.

Amneris eyed her father, then the spirit. "There's been a murder at the Academy.